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tv   News  RT  January 4, 2021 7:00am-7:31am EST

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as a real moment of victory of course the united states will be appealing this they will be still trying to actually try to in charge for him to face those all of those u.s. indictments a symbol for now he really does feel like supporters are cheaper than of course but that it wasn't just your innocence that was in the dots but it was the fundamental principles of the right of freedom of press and this really is a historic and monumental moment. certainly is ok thank you a shadier show the it would be there for us outside the london quarter that night that ruling would come back a bit later thank you for the time being. but let's just recap then what has happened because the u.k. court has rejected a u.s. extradition request for juvenile due to concerns about his mental health he will remain in custody while u.s. government decides whether to appeal the decision it has 2 weeks to do so well though we do understand as we heard from shani there that a bail hearing is also taking place today so maybe he will be granted by oh maybe
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junior songe could walk free but we'll keep an eye on that one for you though there were massive celebrations outside the london courthouse when the judge announced her verdict. was. was. was was was was was was was. ok let's get the views now of clock stockley he was with us he's a weak links activist we appreciate your time softening a good afternoon for you to watch your reaction see the units and over the last. well it's bittersweet obviously because. he's facing the bail hearing
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later today probably like right now and. and essentially the judge agreed with the u.s. government. on everything. which leaves a horrible precedent for future journalists activists whistleblowers even hackers. and you know that is also going to be part of the government's appeal and so while i'm i find great relief in her decision to grant him freedom i am still worried about this appeal that will probably take place in 2 weeks. i. concerned that he might not get bail today.
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is probably the biggest victory he has had in the past decade and so i do. you know in the past 10 years. watching this and fighting for this. we've had very few victories i can point to. chelsea manning having her senseless commuted but then you know you look look at her case and she has a back in jail twice for refusing to testify against julian and so it is. very obvious to me that the u.s. government is going to fight this tooth and nail to the end and they're not going to give up and i think really the best thing that could happen and i appeal to the current president. to just end this once and for all and pardon julian he has that power he only has a short amount. time to do it and i highly recommend that he he does this while he
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still has that power i don't have a lot faith in biden doing that at least not. any time early in his. administration. we could we could put an end to this far this came through court this witch hunt this you know absolute persecution of. freedom of press. freedom to hold governments accountable and if donald trump did that. when shooting the sound for flexing what's happened the soft inning do you think he will feel any jubilation because as you said it's just stand his mental health so if he gets better then lot and also we know that he has to face probably in a pale hearing he has to go through all of this psychological pressure that he's
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been under for the last 9 years that i just wonder whether all this jubilation is a bit premature. well. i think you're right it is what is a small victory i mean it's what needed to happen so that we weren't the ones appealing the case. and it's certainly is a step in the right direction. julian i know. you know takes everything with a grain of salt and he. you know he he knows that this is far from over. but i think that. you know with all of the campaigning that we've been doing all of the hours all everything that we've done the protest that everything that's happened all of the work the lawyers have done just a small victory is. it's necessary to just maintain some hope
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and i'll be honest i woke up this morning and i had absolutely no hope and and it wasn't until the final moments. that i got any relief because as i mentioned the judge agreed with the government on everything and. didn't give julian really any room as far as legal arguments when it came to you know freedom of press and the spying and all this luckily the judge showed some empathy and understanding of the oppression that he has gone under how this is a fact that his health his mental health and and how it would certainly deteriorate . further if you were sent back to the united states and we certainly saw that with chelsea manning and how she was treated especially in the 1st 9 months of her.
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being walked away at quantico her mental health really broke down. and we saw that through the pretrial hearings of her case. you know there is no justice when you are in pretrial confinement in the united states there is no 'd. sense of well being or care and and that's not just in these cases that's all across the united states with with all pretrial confinement and so. again i. call upon donald trump to do the right thing and to put an end to this for once and for all he did say i didn't a very early on that he loves wiki leaks and then i from the coast if he vs suddenly you know it's public enemy number one but when you say you does i mean how hopeful are you is this just you just tossing something into the way just prying it
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might happen but what are the chances do you think that he could because as i said previously he had shown a lot of the towards wiki leaks. you know trying to predict donald trump's decisions is impossible. we have heard rumblings that. he has been considering it. there was i believe a reverend that was close to him that had prematurely tweeted out that he was going to pardon the songe. you know certainly. trump has been handing out pardons. lately and. you know it's really hard to say it is quite hypocritical how. did say he loved wiki leaks during this campaign and there's essentially turn his back.
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if if he has any character any principles he would do this and there is widespread support both on the left and the right. for you know a part of those of us who are principled no matter what the political game has been from the things with the leaks is published know that the freedom of the press entire 1st amendment is at stake here it's not just julian's life but it's the future of journalism and and so if. if trump wants to do you know one good thing in my opinion in the past 4 years this would be it this would would certainly. you know it would change my opinion of trump in many ways and it would it would certainly go a long way to. to you know preserving
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what the mocker see the supposed to be in the united states. it on a positive note i mean i certainly don't want to sound negative because listen to a lot of genius and supporters and they like the sort of cautious optimism they say we're very relieved that he's not being extradited today but we're concerned about the future but just on donald trump i just wondered whether today's decision would actually give him a chance to look back on the case again or perhaps it will put more pressure on him to issue a pardon perhaps pressure that wasn't there before. that's a good point i think you know it's certainly going to bring it back to the forefront you know be something that will be in the news cycle today and over the next couple weeks. and certainly the timing is is is there too you know this is this is the time period in
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a president's administration when they usually give the most part and so i know that there's been a huge effort to get him to pardon julian and so maybe this is the push that it needs. you know trump tried to campaign as this anti-establishment anti you know big government anti. you know against. the deep state if you will and so if any of that were to be true if any of that was was something that trump really believed in this would be a way to prove that and trump has very few options of saving his legacy see if you get to this point i think this is the biggest opportunity and i think he should also go ahead and pardon snowden while these other. you know both julian and snowden have had their lives completely turned upside down course julian
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has had it much worse being confined to the embassy and then belmarsh and. i think if if there was a time to do it now is the time and i really really hope that he does. you know if if that's not the way it goes i certainly hope that the appeal. sticks and. the decision sticks and. you know we can only hope at this point i feel a lot of the work that activists have done. it's kind of out of our hands at this point. and so it's really up to the powers that be to. show that they you know care about the people care about the freedom of the press and journalism. it's their chance to do what's right and.
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and i think that. you know the embarrassment of the u.s. government is miniscule to what is at stake here and. what really is a stake is all journalism and gnash internationally you know trying to. cover another country's war crimes and corruption. is at stake and and so you know this is something that certainly needs to happen and hopefully you know i've seen i've seen lawmakers in the u.s. on both sides of the aisle who are principled enough to understand what's at stake here i just hope that. the trunk can see that and realize that this is the best the solution he could make in his presidency i
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take really really good to talk to this afternoon we do have to leave it there but we wish you were the best all the best and certainly fingers crossed for you and that innocent and or his supporters still have to wait to see what happens next i was a clock stokley with leaks and get us thinking. ok what aussies that you could have done of that back at the events that did lead up to songes long fight for free. jr and his son has come a long way from an obscure activist to freedom fighter or traitor depending on who you are squarely one thing you can deny him though is that he led the charge that we kill leaks to dig up the secrets that america's intelligence colossus spent billions of dollars burying and he succeeded.
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field reports from iraq military logs from afghanistan sensitive documents from guantanamo bay none of which made the u.s. look particularly good i would argue that is closer to being the high tech terrorist it isn't it i mean international community and not for the death penalty so if i'm not for the death i don't want to do it illegally shoot the son of
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a. great discredit to this nation should be assassinated he should be treated as an enemy combatant it didn't take long for a son to experience firsthand what it means to be uncle sam's public enemy the us went after the whistleblower launching a probe into his actions at the same time a seemingly unrelated sexual assault investigation was opened. in sweden a son himself though claimed it was all part of americas to extradite him by all means possible the pressure mounted so when 2012 a son requested asylum from ecuador and holed up in the country's embassy in london this kicked off what would become a long 7 years of confinement with even the u.n. calling for an end to this suffering various forms of deprivation of liberty to
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which julian assange has been subjected constitute a form of arbitrary detention the working group maintains that the arbitrary detention of mr assigned should be brought to an end instead the old things short from bad to even worse for a son ecuador's new president who was looking for warmer relations with the u.s. seemed to take personal offense when we can leaks wrote about corruption allegations against him sanj was shown the door artie's video agency ruptly turned out to be the only outlet to catch the moment his son was literally carried out of the building some 7 years after he stepped in it. was. once u.k. law enforcement got their hands on a son they threw him in prison a proper one but the u.s. government is looking to try him under american law where the whistleblower faces
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more than a 100 years behind bars now every cording that emerged in line has sparked another wave of calls to pardon the whistleblower in the tape ironically julian a son she was trying to help u.s. authorities minimize the fallout of the 2011 leaks. which will have an. hour here is that it's more or. but we have been calling. me. every day trying to explain. hold back donald trump since you're given pardons to people please consider pardoning those who at great personal sacrifice expose the deception and criminality of those in the deep state mr president if you grant so you want to act of clemency during your time in office please free julian assange those you alone can save his life on hoping that he will pardon julian a search it's the right thing to do so far trump has remained deaf to the pleas the
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julian assange just saga has been going for so long it feels like it could be over any minute but flashing back to how it's been going so far it seems like we've just turned the page on another chapter well another chapter was opened in the last hour or so because a british judge did rule against extraditing junior science the united states on the basis of his mental health earlier we did discuss the implications of all of this with some of those who come to supporters sanj side the court. i wasn't sure what to expect but i'm so happy that he's. been discharged for whatever reason it's fantastic i mean there's so many people who've been campaigning for a low for a long time against this injustice when he's gone through 1011 years of hell 1st under house arrest and in belmarsh prison for the simple crime of journalism which isn't a crime he's standing up for freedom of speech he's done nothing but tell the truth
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he's been treated as a political prisoner at least mental health has suffered an unknown people opposed to him has said that that is the case this this is not just about him personally it's about journalism it's about freedom it's about freedom of speech it's about freedom of the press and all those things are being undermined both in this country are by the actions of the people of the united states they're trying to get him to be extradited to the pushing this action here was the right absolutely remarkable to see 95 percent of the traditional bar were in favor for us i mean favorite expression she threw i have a political ticker in the usual public interest depends only in the last $46.00 peachey say the american prison system is so brutal so pressing that julian would be at risk of suicide if i sent him to be america or american soil not going to and this is the end of the story the united states are good people this will go to
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a higher court so. ok let's go live now to outside the court and back to our correspondent there shadi and which dash to shut it jubilant scenes that just bring us up to speed on everything that has happened in the last hour. but a small sadistic judge here in central london has concluded that you will not cannot be extradited to the united states for of course he was wanted by the united states government for what they call his alleged role in one of the most much as compromises of classified information in the history. of the united states that he was wanted to face trial for spying and publishing classified documents 18 counts under the espionage act to publishing these transpired documents all relating to the war in iraq and afghanistan plus one of conspiracy to have government competes and if found guilty and convicted he could face a sentence of up to 175 years behind bars so it's
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a numbers case not just within the soldier his family but also his supporters and campaign is that saying he was a violent campaign of the truth and justice and of course that this is a mammoth case for the freedom of press around the public's right to access information so of course it's a really wonderful moment and many people here in central london many countries as a supporter says this was really touching on the fundamental tenets of the freedom of press now all not very much to i'm now joined by rebecca vincent who is from the reporters without borders of close interestingly the charge she said that this was not politically motivated and her ground succumb to this decision was based on mental health so what really does this mean for jonas going forward so we're relieved very much i'm sure the court's assessment of his serious mental health rests but we're concerned that the rest of the decision leaves the door open for possible other prosecutions on similar grounds because until that point until she came to that point of the decision it seemed very much that the case would have
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been in favor of the prosecution so without the mental health issues at play somebody else in that same situation could have indeed been extradited to the u.s. to face charges that are so this pointed out broader systemic issues that need to be addressed the not the espionage act must be reformed it locks the public in just offense if any publisher any journalist any source finds themselves subject to similar proceedings they cannot adequately defend themselves so to in this country the official secrets are locks locks of public interest to fund so we need to see stronger journalistic protections and i would have liked to see a stronger position today from the court in that regard so if you're a parent in terms of today it was a predictor. a fortune a start as for today but attention not moving forward in terms of journalistic freedom what does that mean for justice every day jen is here in the united kingdom if it further afield so not just in the united kingdom also the u.s. and internationally i think what what has happened to mr songe the reason in the way he's been targeted of the past 10 years has already had a chilling effect and i think will continue to do so today's decision does not
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inspire confidence that the u.s. government or the another state might not a ton to to pursue somebody else in the same way so that seriously needs to be adjusted we will continue to advocate for broader reforms to strengthen protections for journalists for sources for whistleblowers because at present they would anybody trying to publish similar information to what wiki leaks they could find themselves in very hot water of course is the end of the line needed it terms of the jurisdiction hit today we understand that failed that we had to bail hill just a few minutes ago we think that the bail decision will come out on wednesday so it's funny that right now it is far from over what we call for at the moment is his immediate release so we do hope that bail is granted without further delay because every day that he is deprived of his liberty is a continued injustice not to mention that the mental health issues that have been highlighted by the court here today will continue to be exacerbated by prolonged detention and the health risks that he faces while with covert infections on the rise in belmarsh he should be released without further delay and then of course we
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have to await the outcome of the a fuse herself because the u.s. government has a chance to appeal its case so we at reporters without borders will continue to monitor and to stick with this case to follow the legal proceedings closely to campaign for freedom for julian assange and for better protections for journalists everywhere as you mentioned the united states has already said that it will be going through an appeal situation to try and get judah saw uncheck start to to the united states is that still a possibility that i would hope not because the grounds that the judge gave for her decision today on the mental health issues that would be very hard for the u.s. government to make a different case. in a matter of just months and i think we heard really solid evidence from the medical experts in this case in september during the adventure a portion of these hearings that it was unanimously agreed that he suffers from serious depression that he has frequent suicidal thoughts even the medical expert from the prosecution did not deny that he experiences these issues that witness simply question whether he would be able to control the impulse we can't gamble
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with somebodies life like that so we have called his possible extradition to the u.s. a matter of possible life or death we retain that he should be released i'm known that many people there out there are safe not much older than that who is that judas over the face of the trial is that what i said to the united states one is that so the judge denied that in her decision today she specifically stated that there was no reason to believe that he wouldn't be given a fair trial in the u.s. she threw out that part of the case * however we are concerned that the case was politically motivated that has always been a concern here and i think that is an aspect that the public in the in the u.s. and u.k. struggle to accept through these are states could be possibly could be capable of such such a pursuit of somebody but it seems to be clear political application of the espionage act targeting mr sanchez because of his contributions to journalism so that remains a concern because again not that precedent could be applied to others and so just finally then why do we go now in terms of the campaign not just what eunice but for
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journalism about what so 11 aspect of this campaign that this case has really highlighted is the need for the reform of the espionage act in the u.s. so that's something that we engaged on with congressional candidates ahead of the u.s. elections in november and now with the new congress to be sworn in shortly we will be advocating more for reform of the espionage act in the u.s. that would help we should make sure that the u.s. government cannot prosecute anybody in this way under the espionage act so that would be 11 means that started but also just to take a stronger position on any journalist anywhere who is targeted for pup. information in the public interest i think there is a need for better protection of whistleblowers of other journalistic sources and of journalists who are publishing leaked information that the public has a right to do because the public did have a right to these stories we keep exposing work crimes and other illegal behaviors by state that it is in the public interest that to. thank you very much for joining us live on our t.v. really appreciate your time this see this afternoon so there you can see supporters
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and campaign is and journalists all singing from the same hymn sheet this really wasn't just eunice anjan the docs at the criminal court here today but it is actually the fundamental principles and the tenants of the rights of christ the freedom of expression and of course the public's right to access information is going to actually be historic morning. ok. edwards dashti there reporting live for site side the call will surely today did say that you do the songs would not be extradited to the u.s. to short so many but they said they made that decision on health grounds thank you shadi you're watching us international we are going to take a quick break now but so we'll be back with more stories in. journey has changed american lives but pharmaceutical companies have
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for common ground. welcome back you're watching not international america's vaccine right that isn't quite going to plan the country missed its target an ocular 820000000 people by the year's end and getting the job to fewer than 3000000 in 2020 sus to tyler picks up the story. it might be a new year but it's cool to buy the same old problems on the fos day of 2021 the u.s. hit $20000000.00 kovac 19 cases but just out was before as the clock struck midnight thousands flooded the streets hoping that the next $365.00 days would just be that little bit that.

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